The queen is back! CoverGirl announced today that it is bringing back Queen Latifah as its newest brand ambassador, six years after the actress’s decade-long run with the brand came to an end. In 2006, Latifah joined forces with CoverGirl to help further the brand’s diversity efforts and become a role model for all the little girls in her community who had never seen someone like her in a CoverGirl ad.
In a recent interview with Essence, Latifah reflected on her first go-round with the brand, and the moment that inspired the super successful Queen Collection they created together (one of the first lines in mass cosmetics made specifically for deeper skin tones): “A woman came up to me and was like, ‘I’m so happy for you and CoverGirl. I love that, but I wish ya’ll made a shade in my complexion.’ When she said that, it didn’t go past me, it stuck with me. I [thought], ‘OK, let’s go make a shade in your complexion.’ I thought why am I CoverGirl if we can’t get our different shades?”
The launch of the Queen Collection encouraged many other beauty brands to rethink their makeup shades and diversity, and we’ve seen major strides in the industry over the last 15 years. Latifah, now also a producer, Grammy winner, Oscar nominee and philanthropist, will be the face of a yet-to-be-announced collection from CoverGirl and will be joining the brand in a multiyear partnership.
“It feels like a full circle moment to be back with my CoverGirl family,” she says. “I’m excited to reconnect and collaborate with them once again to bring inclusivity to the forefront every step of the way, from product creation to ad development to product dissemination. I’m excited to be back and look forward to what we can create together!”
Stefano Curti, chief brands officer of consumer beauty at Coty, CoverGirl’s parent company, is also very excited: “Bringing back Queen Latifah to the CoverGirl family was a no-brainer for us. Latifah is one of the most powerful voices of our generation and we are thrilled to join her in her endeavors to inspire and evoke change. She has helped us evolve the brand to include products that help women and men of all ages and skin tones live their true selves with beauty that fit their needs.”
